Debating Obesity

It is routinely declared that contemporary society is in the midst of a global 'obesity crisis', ultimately the result of inactive lifestyles and poor diets. What medicine calls 'obesity', and its precursor 'overweight', must be fought, we are told, because they lead to escalating morbidity and mortality from associated ill health. A sense of impending disaster that must be averted through collective and individual action continues to be emphasized, such that fatness is routinely framed as a deficiency of social and individual responsibility. Drawing on work from scholars across a range of disciplines, and health practitioners, this book brings together critical perspectives on some of the recent claims associated with the obesity crisis. The book develops both theoretical and conceptual arguments around the obesity debate, as well as taking a more practical focus in terms of implications for the health professions. Authors offer a range of alternative perspectives, including critiques of the adequacies of scientific knowledge, the consequences of the stigmatisation of fat, the impact of pervasive body surveillance associated with weight management and the implications for health professionals to outline a new 'critical weight studies' agenda.